Football: Monmouth County season in review, 2011

Player of the year: Jaheem Woods of Neptune capped a special, emotional year with a memorable performance.

In his final game, he rushed 257 yards and four touchdowns and went 10-for-16 passing with 164 yards and a score in Neptune’s 47-28 victory over Steinert in the Central Jersey, Group 3 state playoff final.

Noah K. Murray/The Star-LedgerJaheem Woods of Neptune is The Star-Ledger's Monmouth County football Player of the Year for 2011.

Neptune captured a state playoff title for the fourth time in school history and its first since 1998. The senior finished the season with 1,391 yards and 15 TDs in the air and ran for 1,082 yards and 15 touchdowns.

Woods contributed on the other side of the ball, too, where he registered five interceptions and 76 tackles at corner back.

Woods had to deal with a new offense this year as Mark Ciccotelli came over from Freehold Borough to become Neptune's head coach.

According to Woods, his head coach predicted he would have a huge season during the very first practice.

“In the summertime, Coach Ciccotelli said I was going to be Player of the Year,” Woods said. “I didn’t believe him at first but he kept saying it and I started to listen. I used it to motivate me this season. I was ready to play and had a promise to keep.”

That promise was one the entire team made this past June when teammate Naisere Nelson drowned in the ocean at Bradley Beach after being caught in a rip current. Woods was in the water with Nelson and tried to save him but couldn’t. The team made a pack that day to get a ring for their fallen friend.

“That tragedy brought the school together,” Woods said. “We always talked about winning a state title and we knew we had to do it this year. During the season, whenever we caught ourselves slowing down, we reminded each other that we were doing it for Naisere. My season is a direct result of wanting to honor him.”Team of the year: Red Bank Catholic finished 10-1, winning its first state playoff game since 1998, and was ranked No. 11 in The Star-Ledger's Final Top 20.

The offense was powered by running back John DiStefano, who rushed for 1,521 yards and 23 touchdowns.

Coach of the year: For Joe Martucci of Matawan, his 28th year at the helm proved to be one of his best overall performances.

Larry Alston, Matawan

Led by senior transfer Larry Alston, Matawan captured the Central Jersey, Group 2 playoff title when it upset Rumson, 3-0. That result avenged Matawan's loss to Rumson in last year's Central Jersey, Group 2 final.

Matawan won seven of its final eight games after a 2-2 start. Matawan controlled the clock for nearly 30 minutes in the playoff upset over Rumson, which had defeated Matawan, 21-9, on Oct. 1. The earlier meeting proved to be the turning point for the squad.

“We were banged up early in the season at key positions,” Martucci said. “They slowly got healthy and we started to make a move. As coaches, we made a decision after that first Rumson game to go to a ground and pound offense which clicked.”

The squad overcame the suspensions of five players, three starters, during the playoffs as the team used the example set last year by two state champions Freehold Borough and Rumson.

“We reminded the kids that both teams started out 0-2 last year and still won the title,” Martucci said. “We needed the kids to believe and they did.”Game of the year: The annual Red Bank Catholic-Neptune game is usually a good matchup but this year’s contest on Sept. 16 was an instant classic.

Neptune controlled the ball for most of the game and put a scare into Red Bank Catholic, ranked in The Star-Ledger Top 20. Red Bank Catholic did manage to pull out a victory in double overtime, 20-14.

It had a chance to win twice late but could not convert a field goal attempt at the end of the game or in the first overtime.

Armond Conover, Asbury Park

Asbury Park rides high, again: With running back Islam Joshua running for two scores, Asbury Park won its fourth state sectional title in five years and sixth overall when it rolled to a 42-18 victory over Florence in the Central Jersey, Group 1 final on Dec. 3.

Asbury Park completed a 10-2 season, with both losses coming to teams that also competed for state titles, Rumson and Neptune. The dynamic offense was led by its explosive senior twins, Amir and Armond Conover and Thomond and Tahjier Hammary. They helped Asbury Park average nearly 34 points a game.

The team also dealt with adversity as assistant coach John Key was killed on Oct. 16 while crossing the Garden State Parkway to check on a disabled vehicle.Extra Points: Senior offensive lineman Ryan Brodie and junior running back Dwight Clark helped Long Branch win five straight to end the season at 5-5. Three of the team’s five losses were by a touchdown or less. ... Manalapan’s John Sieczkowski ran for 425 yards on Oct 21 against Howell, breaking current NFL back Knowshon Moreno's Shore Conference single-game rushing record. Moreno, who plays now for the Denver Broncos, ran for 420 yards in one game while at Middletown South. Sieczkowski finished with 2,148 yards and 24 TDs, giving Manalapan back-to-back 2,000-yard rushers, a first in Shore Conference history. Josh Firsker ran for 2,000 plus yards last fall.